Former FBI Director James Comey believes President Donald Trump was trying to influence his thinking about the investigation into alleged ties between members of Trump’s campaign and Russian officials, CNN reported on Saturday.
CNN reported, citing a source familiar with Comey’s thinking, that the fired FBI head now thinks Trump was trying to influence his judgment regarding the investigation.
The source told CNN that “intent is hard to prove” with regard to Trump’s motivation for doing so, since “you have to have intent in order to obstruct justice in the criminal sense.”
The New York Times reported on Wednesday that in February, Trump asked Comey to shut down his bureau’s investigation into Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a request that Comey documented in a memo.
On Thursday, Benjamin Wittes, the editor of the blog Lawfare and a self-described “friend” of Comey, said the former FBI director described two instances when Trump attempted “personally to compromise him or implicate him with either shows of closeness or actual chumminess.”
One of those instances took place during a January meeting of law enforcement officials at the White House, when Trump called Comey over from across the room — where Wittes said the FBI director was trying to “blend into” the drapes — and tried to pull Comey in for a hug.
Trump himself revealed earlier in May that he was thinking about “this Russia thing” when he decided to fire Comey. The New York Times reported Wednesday that Trump told Russian officials he was relieved to be rid of Comey, who he called a “real nut job,” and said the investigation had put him under “great pressure.”
On Friday, the chair and ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee announced that Comey agreed to testify in an open session.
“Let’s get to the new part”
“Murder My Sweet”, Raymond Chandler/John Paxton
CNN, can’t you read? The Post and even NYT have blockbusters. In the Scoop sweepstakes, this ain’t cuttin’ it.
Stop. All. The. Winning.
It’s really starting to hurt…
From laughing.
Apparently, CNN is getting its stories from Captain Obvious.
Trump in his infinite stupidity has actually confirmed this.
He’s openly stated he thinks it’s ok to ask for a loyalty oath from a FBI director.
He basically admitted to Lester Holt and the Russians that he fired Comey due to the Russian investigation.
Not coincidental that Comey got axed the day after he asked the DAG for more resources.
When considering Trump, I apply a nuanced version of Trump’s Razor that considers all his actions come directly from his severe Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Trump has all nine diagnostic traits). Media, even from the left, miss the boat nearly every time because they look for a grand plan where none exist. The explanation always begins and ends with NPD.
So, how much of Comey’s firing was really about Comey spurning Trump’s advances?